


Girl That You Love

by marichatting



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, also she's named after adrien's mom and i cry, and now his daughter is a teenager and she's in mari's class, anyway, anyway adrien married young and they had a kid but his wife died, do they have home ec in france??, idk - Freeform, marinette is a home ec teacher, this turned out to be like twice as long as i intended
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 15:21:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15197633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marichatting/pseuds/marichatting
Summary: Marinette and Adrien, now in their late thirties, haven't spoken in years. This soon changes when Adrien's teenage daughter ends up in Marinette's class.





	Girl That You Love

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is named after a Panic! song because Brendon Urie just came out as pan and I love him with all my heart and I'm very proud of him.
> 
> Also, if you're into aged-up Adrienette, you should read my fic [Welcome to New York ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14758569/chapters/34126665) (wink wink)! I post chapters of it every Wednesday and Saturday, and there are only three chapters left before it's all up- but I'm working on a sequel that currently has a little bit over 13k words.

Marinette’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the familiar surname on the class list.

“E- Emilie Agreste?” she called, looking up from the sheet of paper.

“Here,” said a girl of about fifteen who was sitting in the front row as she raised her hand. Marinette couldn’t help but be stunned at how much she looked like _him_ with her loosely-curled golden hair cascading to a spot just lower than her chin and her striking green eyes that perfectly matched his.

The only differences in their appearances were in her slender build and the freckles that danced across her nose and cheeks.

While Adrien hadn’t exactly been bulky as a teenager, he _had_ been tall, and he _had_ become somewhat muscular as be grew older. Marinette remembered the time when they were nineteen and he was featured on the cover of a swimsuit magazine. She had practically had a heart attack seeing the boy’s toned physique.

This girl, on the other hand, was petite and slim, with a graceful way about her.

“Would your father happen to be Adrien Agreste?” Marinette asked, although she already knew the answer.

“Yes,” the girl said instantly, obviously expecting the question.

Marinette hummed softly to herself, a tiny smile growing on her face as she sat down on top of her desk. “I used to be friends with your dad, you know.”

The girl cocked her head. “Really?”

Marinette nodded. “We had our own little friend group when we were your age- me, your dad, and two other kids named Nino and Alya.”

The girl’s face lit up. “You know Uncle Nino and Auntie Alya?”

“Of course,” Marinette laughed. “Alya’s been my best friend since we were thirteen- in fact, we became friends right around the same time Nino and your dad met. I’m glad to hear that they’re apparently still friends. Tell your dad Marinette said hi, okay?”

Emilie nodded.

***

Okay, so, being a teacher hadn’t exactly been her dream.

But the fashion industry was tough, and it was difficult and rare to really make it in such an industry.

She liked kids, she liked sewing, and she liked baking, so the obvious fallback career for her had been teaching home economics.

It wasn’t exactly a thrilling profession, and the pay wasn’t great, but it was enough for her to survive, and it kept her content. Plus, she loved her students. She really did love watching them learn and grow and change throughout the year, and she really loved it when she could lead a student to a newfound love for baking or sewing.

Of course, there were other topics in home ec she wasn’t particularly fond of teaching- namely the budgeting portion she was required to teach each year- but the rest made up for that.

She was happy. She didn’t need a career in fashion or a glamourous life filled with riches to achieve that. Her current life was enough for her.

***

On the second day of school, Emilie beamed as she walked into class.

“I told my dad you said hi,” she told Marinette happily. “He got really happy when he heard your name. He said you were one of his best friends in high school, and he wished you two had kept in touch.”

Marinette smiled. “I wish we had kept in touch, too. He was a very good friend.”

***

More than two months passed without another mention of Adrien.

That was when the time for parent-teacher conferences arrived.

She hadn’t been expecting anyone to show up. Parents were no longer required to meet with their children’s teachers at the high school level, so most parents elected to stay home. Marinette usually took conference night as an opportunity to get a bit ahead on grading.

Needless to say, she was surprised when Adrien Agreste tapped lightly on her classroom door.

“Adrien!” she exclaimed as she recognized him, standing from her desk to greet him as he entered the classroom.

“Hey, Marinette,” he said, opening his arms for a friendly hug, which she gladly accepted. “Long time, no see, huh?”

“Yeah,” Marinette agreed. “When was the last time we saw each other? Ines’s fifth birthday?”

“Yeah, that’s probably right,” Adrien said. “And that was what? Four or five years ago?”

“Yeah, just about,” Marinette nodded, then giggled. “I’ll never forget how much Alya cried that day. _‘My baby is five years old, she’s only supposed to be five_ months _old, what happened?’”_

Adrien laughed. “Well, in her defense, she’d had some wine that day.”

Marinette laughed in response. “True.”

“Oh, sorry,” Adrien said suddenly, taking a seat in one of the chairs Marinette had put in front of her desk when conferences started. “We’re supposed to be talking about Emilie. Now, tell me honestly: how much of a troublemaker is she? A big one, right?” He grinned.

Marinette laughed. “Your daughter is an angel, Adrien, and I would expect nothing less from a child raised by you.”

“Thank you,” Adrien smiled.

“She’s taken a big interest in baking,” Marinette commented. “I was kind of surprised; I figured, with a father in the fashion industry, she would have been more interested in the sewing portion.”

Adrien shrugged. “I’m not too surprised. She’s never been very interested in what I do, but her mom always loved baking, and they used to bake together a lot when Em was little. Hey, speaking of the fashion industry,” Adrien continued, leaning forward a bit in his chair. “I always thought you would for sure do something with fashion. What happened to that?”

Marinette shrugged. “It’s just a tough industry, y’know?”

Adrien nodded. “You should have given me a call. I could have helped out.”

“No, no,” Marinette shook her head. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng doesn’t take handouts.”

“It wouldn’t have been a handout,” Adrien insisted. “Just a little leg up to get you going.”

“Still.”

They continued to talk for about ten minutes after that, when finally, Adrien stood from his chair.

“Well, I should get going,” he said.

“Okay,” Marinette said, standing from her own chair. “It was nice seeing you.”

“You too.”

They hugged once more before he began to walk toward the door to the hallway.

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien said, pausing in the doorway and turning back to her. “Would you want to get dinner with me sometime?”

“Um, sure,” Marinette said.

“Okay, great,” Adrien smiled and walked back toward her, taking a sticky note and a pen off of her desk and scribbling down a series of digits. “Here’s my phone number. Text me when you get the chance, and we’ll set something up.”

“Okay, sounds good. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Marinette collapsed into her desk chair once he was out of the room, staring at the sticky note in her hand. She could feel her cheeks warming.

_This is ridiculous,_ she thought, shaking her head. _I’m not fourteen anymore._

But she couldn’t help but feel butterflies in her stomach when she thought about him.

***

“Wow,” Alya said into the phone, sounding impressed. “Twenty years later, and you finally have a date with the guy.”

“It’s not a date,” Marinette responded as she held up a dress against her body, looking at herself in the mirror. “We’re just two old friends getting reacquainted.”

“I don’t know,” Alya said slowly. “I mean, you’re going to a fancy restaurant.”

“Friends can go to fancy restaurants together.”

“You’ve already met his kid.”

“Because I’m her _teacher.”_

Alya laughed. “I don’t know, Mari. I wasn’t there, but from my end, it kind of sounds like a date.”

Marinette froze. “Do you really think so?”

“I just told you, I don’t know.”

“If it’s a date, I need something that looks better on me than this.”

“Than what?”

“The blue dress.”

“I love that dress on you.”

“But it’s not a _date_ dress,” Marinette said with a sigh. “But if I wear a date dress and it’s not a date, it’ll be weird.”

“What makes a dress a date dress?”

“Alya, you should know this by now.”

“Hey, I’m married to Nino. I’ve never been on a fancy restaurant date.”

Marinette giggled as she heard Nino’s protests in the background.

“It’s probably not a date,” Marinette said. “I mean, we haven’t even spoken in six years. Plus, it hasn’t been that long since his wife passed, has it?”

“It’s been about four years now.”

“Oh. But, I mean, do you think he’s really ready to start dating? She was his _wife,_ after all.”

“He’s ready,” Alya assured her.

“But that still doesn’t make it a date.”

Alya sighed. “Okay, what if Nino and I casually bring it up in conversation with him?”

“Maybe…”

“We’re seeing him tomorrow morning. I can just say something along the lines of, ‘hey, Marinette mentioned that you guys are having dinner together tonight,’ and somehow try to weasel the information out of him.”

Marinette hesitated. “Okay. I guess. Just don’t make it too obvious what you’re doing.”

“You got it. Bye.”

“Thanks, Alya. Bye.”

***

The next day, Marinette found herself checking her phone every few minutes to see if Alya had called.

It was ridiculous, and she knew that. She knew she was acting like a fourteen-year-old girl again, but she couldn’t stop herself.

Finally, after she had managed to distract herself for a little while by grading papers, her phone rang.

She shrieked and leaped off of her couch, the papers on her lap falling onto the floor and scattering as she jumped over the couch to get to her phone.

“Hello?” she said into the phone.

“Okay, so, he doesn’t think it’s a date,” Alya said.

“Oh,” Marinette said, feeling a bit disappointed even though she was the one who had initially said it wasn’t a date.

_“But,”_ Alya continued. “He _did_ say that he might _like_ to go on a date with you if you guys keep in touch after this.”

Marinette’s eyes grew wide. “Really?”

“Yeah. We asked him about if he was interested in you like that, and he just kind of started blushing and told us maybe. Honestly, it was adorable. You’ve got to go for that, Mari.”

Her face lit up. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Totally!”

“But… I’m his daughter’s teacher.”

“So?”

“Wouldn’t it be weird for her?”

Alya hummed. “I see your point. Maybe you guys could just… not tell her until she’s out of your class.”

“We’re only halfway through the first semester- do you really think we’d still be dating after this school year?”

“Maybe,” Alya said. “If you can manage to speak to him.”

Marinette laughed. “Shut up. I’m not fourteen anymore.”

“No, but old habits die hard.”

***

Dinner went well.

They talked, they laughed; they had a great time.

After dinner, they took a moonlit walk down the streets of Paris where they could see la Seine. Their laughter rang out in the crisp night air as they continued their conversation.

“So,” Adrien said finally as they neared Marinette’s apartment building, from which she had taken a cab to the restaurant earlier. “This was nice.”

Marinette smiled down at her feet. “Yeah, it was.”

Gently, Adrien took Marinette’s hand in his.

“Would you, um, maybe want to do this again sometime? Except, like… a date?”

Her heart pounding, she turned her head to look up at him. He looked nervous.

She smiled shyly. “I would like that.”

He grinned triumphantly and squeezed her hand a bit tighter as they grew closer to her building.

“So, um, I’ll call you tomorrow to set up that date, then,” he said, letting go of her hand as they stopped at the entrance to her building.

“Okay,” she said, nodding with a tiny smile on her face.

He wasn’t leaving. He was just standing there and staring at her.

She wasn’t going inside, either. She was just standing there and staring at him.

Her heart began to race as he slowly began to lean in. Her breath quickened as she felt herself doing the same.

Then, when their faces were just centimeters apart, she stopped herself.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she pulled away.

“Oh,” Adrien said, obviously trying to sound casual. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have-“

“No, no,” Marinette said. “It’s fine, it’s just- does Emilie know where you are tonight?”

“She knows I’m having dinner with a friend, but she doesn’t know it’s you.”

“See, that’s what I’m worried about,” she said softly. “I know I haven’t known Emilie for very long, but I care about her. She’s very bright and kind, and she’s one of my best students. I wouldn’t want to upset her.”

“I think she would be fine with it.”

“But you can’t know that for sure,” she said. “I’ve known my share of people in my lifetime who hated their dads’ girlfriends or were angry at their fathers for dating again. Plus, I’m her _teacher._ It might make her uncomfortable, and I know for a fact that neither of us wants that.”

Adrien gave a tiny nod of agreement.

“I want to go out with you,” she said, gently taking his hands in hers. “I really, _really_ want to go out with you. But… I think you need to see how Emilie feels about it first. She takes priority.”

Adrien nodded and smiled softly. “I love that you care about her so much.”

Marinette’s heart fluttered. “I could say the same about you.”

He smiled and gave her hands one last squeeze before letting go. “Goodnight, Marinette.”

“Goodnight.”

***

“Wait, let me get this straight,” Alya’s voice said from the phone. “Adrien tried to _kiss you,_ and you _stopped him?”_

“Yup,” Marinette said.

“Wow,” Alya said, sounding impressed. “Fourteen-year-old you would be screaming right now, you know.”

Marinette laughed. “I know.”

***

The next Monday, Emilie walked into class looking upset. Marinette’s stomach lurched.

Adrien had called her the previous night and told her Emilie was okay with them going out together. They had scheduled a date for this Friday.

Was it possible he was wrong about how she was feeling?

“Hi, Emilie,” Marinette said to her with a smile.

“Hi, Ms. Dupain-Cheng,” the girl responded, not looking at Marinette as she took her seat.

Marinette glanced toward the door. No other students had arrived yet. “Is everything okay?” she asked, moving to sit down on the front end of her desk, directly in front of the blonde teenager.

Emilie sighed. “It’s just that… my dad went out with a woman the other night, and yesterday he asked me if it was okay if- if he started _dating_ her.”

Marinette quirked an eyebrow, her pulse quickening. “Oh?”

Emilie nodded and bit her lower lip. “And I- I want him to be happy, y’know, and he definitely _seemed_ happy about it, but… I don’t know. I mean, it’s been four years since my mom died. He _should_ date, right? He shouldn’t still be holding himself back four years later. She would want him to be happy. But… I don’t know. It’s just weird.”

Marinette nodded. “Did you tell him how you felt?”

“No,” she confessed with a sigh. “I didn’t want to upset him.”

Marinette bit her lip. She had been excited about the date, but she couldn’t stand to sit here and watch this girl suffer because of her.

“I think you should tell him,” she advised her softly.

“Really?” Emilie asked, looking up at her.

Marinette nodded. “If there’s one thing I know about your father, it’s that he cares very deeply about his family. I have a feeling he wouldn’t want to do anything to upset you- even if it means canceling his date.”

“But- but I want him to be happy.”

“And I’m sure he will be, even if he doesn’t date for a little while longer,” Marinette told her gently. “I think he would be willing to wait a bit until you’re ready for him to start dating, or at least talk it out with you.”

Emilie nodded. “Okay. I- I’ll talk to him tonight.”

Marinette smiled at her encouragingly. “Good luck.”

***

That evening, Adrien called her again. She took a deep breath before picking up the phone; she knew what was coming.

They called off their date.

Emilie just wasn’t comfortable with him dating other women yet, and they both agreed that they didn’t want to upset her.

However, Emilie had promised her father that she would try to come around to the idea soon. Perhaps in a few months, they could try again.

Marinette didn’t have much hope for that.

***

That night, she went out as Ladybug.

Hawkmoth had been defeated many years ago, and Gabriel Agreste was now imprisoned and no longer posed a threat to Paris. There was really no need for Ladybug and Chat Noir anymore.

But that didn’t stop the heroes from transforming.

They still went on patrols, doing what they could to help the city and its citizens; however, the patrols had gone from taking place every other night to taking place _maybe_ once a month.

Tonight wasn’t a planned patrol night, but Ladybug still found herself sitting at the edge of the Eiffel tower with her feet dangling off the side.

She hadn’t expected any company, so when Chat Noir landed next to her, she was so surprised that she almost fell off the tower.

“Jeez, Chat, don’t scare me like that,” she said, irritated.

“Sorry, LB,” he said. He had stopped calling her “milady” and “bugaboo” many years ago. She didn’t know why the nicknames had stopped until a while later, when he told her that he was engaged. “What are you doing up here?”

“Just getting some fresh air,” she said. “Trying to clear my mind. You?”

“The same,” he responded, sitting down next to her.

These were some of the best nights that she spent with him. The nights when they would both just sit together and talk and comfort each other when one of them was feeling down.

There had been a lot of these nights after his wife’s death.

They stayed there and talked for hours. By the time Marinette got home, it was nearly two in the morning. She knew she was going to regret it when she had to get out of bed at five-thirty, but she was glad to have Chat to keep her company.

***

The next day, Emilie walked into the classroom still looking upset.

“What’s wrong?” Marinette asked, checking once again to make sure there were no other students present or entering the class room. “Did your conversation with your dad not go well?”

Emilie huffed. “You didn’t tell me _you_ were the one he went out with.”

Marinette’s heart stopped. “Oh. He- he told you about that, huh?”

“Yeah, he did.”

Marinette hesitated. “Look, Emilie, I’m sorry-“

“Why would he even think it would be a good idea to go out with my _teacher?”_ Emilie interrupted. “And I don’t mean to cause you any offense, because I really like you, but you’re my _teacher.”_

Marinette nodded. “I was afraid you would be upset when he asked me out.”

Emilie looked up at her. “You- you thought about _my_ feelings?”

Marinette nodded. “Of course I did. You’re my student. I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt you.”

“Tha- thank you.” She looked down at her hands, which were folded on top of her desk. “I’m sorry he canceled the date.”

“It’s okay,” Marinette said. “Really. You deserve happiness, too. I would never want you to hate me because I started dating your dad.”

***

Marinette and Adrien didn’t see each other again for another couple of months. They texted almost every day, though, and with every passing day, Marinette’s heart ached even more for him.

It was funny, in a way. She had spent most of her teenage years longing for him, and now, at nearly forty years old, she was doing the same thing all over again.

Then, Christmas break came along, and Marinette found herself sitting in her living room and staring at a written invitation that had just arrived in the mail inviting her to the Agrestes’ house for a casual Christmas Eve party.

Marinette’s cab pulled up to the Agreste Mansion about fifteen minutes after the time listed on the invitation. Her heart seized as she looked at the mansion, and she swallowed hard. This was where she and Chat Noir had apprehended Hawkmoth when they were eighteen, and she hadn’t been there since that day. Adrien had invited her over a couple of times, but she had always made up excuses not to go back.

And now she was here again.

She got out of the cab and took a deep breath before walking into the mansion, the cold December air biting at her skin even through the thick woolen sweater she was wearing.

When she walked through the doors into the foyer, the first person to greet her was Emilie.

“Hi, Ms. Dupain-Cheng,” she said cheerfully from across the foyer, where she was standing and chatting with a group of her friends. “Merry Christmas Eve.”

Marinette returned the sentiment with a smile and wandered off into the dining room, where she saw Adrien, Nino, and Alya standing in a group and laughing about something.

“Marinette,” Adrien grinned as he spotted her, then walked over to give her a hug. “You made it.”

“Hi, Adrien,” she said, returning his embrace and then turning to Nino and Alya. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, Mari,” Alya greeted her in response. “How’s work?”

Marinette shrugged. “It’s okay. How’s Ines?”

“She’s good,” Alya said. “She got straight A’s this semester.”

“Wow, you two are raising a genius.”

Alya glanced at Nino and smirked. “She gets it from me.”

The rest of the evening entailed alcohol, food, and abundant laughter. They played Dirty Santa and danced badly through the foyer while blasting Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas is You" at top volume as a group of teenage girls laughed at them.

Three hours after arriving, Marinette found herself sitting cross-legged on the couch in Adrien’s room with her hands over her eyes.

“Can I look yet?” she asked.

“No, just a second.”

Marinette giggled. “What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for something… There it is! Okay, open.”

Marinette uncovered her eyes to see Adrien proudly holding up a familiar charm bracelet.

Marinette gasped and snatched the bracelet away from him. “You kept this?”

“Of course,” he grinned. “It’s my lucky charm.”

Marinette laughed. “I still have mine, too,” she admitted. “Not with me, but at home in my jewelry box.”

Adrien plopped down next to her on the couch. “I’m honored.”

Marinette handed the bracelet back to him and looked around the room. “I can’t believe you’re still in your old bedroom from when you were a kid,” she commented.

Adrien shrugged. “Well, I didn’t really want my father’s old room, and this one isn’t exactly small, so there was really no reason to switch rooms. When Emilie was born, we turned an old guest room into her bedroom.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes as they stared at the city through the windows that took up his entire wall. After a moment, Marinette felt Adrien’s hand move on top of hers, and she blushed as she turned her hand over and interlaced their fingers.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but she was feeling brave tonight.

She found herself moving closer to the taller man and gently leaning against him. Eventually, her head was resting on his shoulder, one of his arms was wrapped around her waist, and his free hand was holding hers.

She could have stayed like that forever.

That was when Emilie burst into the room.

“Hey, Dad, I-“ she froze with wide eyes as she saw Adrien and Marinette, who leapt off of the couch and away from each other as she entered the bedroom.

“Hey, Em,” he said, obviously trying to appear casual. “What’s up?”

She eyed them suspiciously. “What were you two doing in here?”

“Nothing,” they both said together.

“I should, uh, go,” Marinette stuttered, heading toward the door. “This was fun. Thank you for inviting me. I- I’ll see you in class, Emilie.”

With that, she sped down the stairs and out the front door.

***

Emilie wasn’t the first one in class on the first day of the new semester, so Marinette had to ask her to stay after class just so she could talk to her in private.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about Christmas Eve,” Marinette told her softly.

Emilie, who was visibly uncomfortable, gave her a confused look. “Why are you sorry?”

“Because I know you’re not comfortable with the idea of your dad being in a relationship yet, and I shouldn’t have- well, I shouldn’t have let… _whatever that was_ happen in the first place, and I _definitely_ shouldn’t have let you see it happening.”

Emilie shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, but clearly still uncomfortable. “It’s okay. No big deal.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “It’s fine. Really. Can I go? I’m going to be late to physics.”

“Sure. I can write you a note, if you want,” Marinette offered.

“Thanks, but that’s okay,” Emilie said, then briskly exited the classroom.

***

The next time Marinette saw Adrien was when she was eating alone at her desk during her planning period a month later.

She heard a light knock at her door and looked up to see him smiling at her.

“Hey,” she said, a smile growing on her face. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to pick up Emilie and a couple of her friends to take them to lunch,” he explained. “But I’m a few minutes early, and they’re not out of class yet, so I thought I’d stop by and say hi.”

Marinette smiled at him. “Hi.”

He smiled back. “Hi.”

They stood there awkwardly for a moment before he spoke.

“Do you mind if I take a look around your classroom?”

She gestured to the room. “Be my guest.”

He began to wander around the room, looking at different posters and students’ projects that were displayed on the walls and countertops.

“Where does Emilie sit?” he asked after a moment.

“Right here,” she told him, gesturing to her desk in the front row.

Adrien made his way to the desk and sat down. The desk was perfectly centered with Marinette’s, and he looked up at her. “Wow. Did she pick this seat?”

“Yep.”

“She really _is_ a teacher’s pet, isn’t she?”

Marinette laughed. “I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh?”

Adrien scowled. “I was _not_ the teacher’s pet.”

“I dunno,” Marinette teased. “You were a front-row student, too.”

“Because that was the only seat left when I got there!”

“And the four years after that?”

“That- I had vision problems,” he grumbled.

“You didn’t wear glasses.”

“I’m too beautiful,” he said matter-of-factly. “Glasses would only mask my beauty.”

Marinette laughed and moved to sit on top of her desk, her right leg crossed over her left one. “Okay, sure. Whatever you say.”

Adrien stood from the desk. “If anyone was the teacher’s pet, it was you, Miss _Class-Representative-Five-Years-In-A-Row.”_

“I was not the teacher’s pet! I was late to class nearly every day!”

“And somehow, you _still_ managed it!”

“The class rep thing only proves that the _students_ liked me. It has nothing to do with teachers.”

Adrien shrugged. “Okay, sure. _Whatever you say.”_

They both laughed.

Suddenly, a group of three teenage girls walked into the room.

“I told you he’d be here,” Emilie said to her friends. “Dad, what are you doing? We’ve been waiting for you for ten minutes.”

Adrien glanced at the clock on the wall. “Sorry, Em. I didn’t even notice the bell ringing.”

“The bells don’t ring,” Marinette said. “They broke a few months ago.”

“And they’re still not fixed?”

“This is a public school. We don’t have any money.”

Adrien nodded. “Right, well- we should be going.” He was standing mere inches away from Marinette, who was still sitting on her desk. He looked into her eyes. “It was nice seeing you again.”

She smiled. “You too.”

He lingered there for another moment, still staring at her. “So, um. Bye.”

“Bye.”

He still didn’t move.

Emilie rolled her eyes with a huff. “Oh, just kiss her already.”

Both of their gazes snapped to the exasperated-looking teenage girl and her quietly giggling friends.

“But-“ Adrien stuttered. “But you said-“

“I changed my mind,” she said, waving her hand in the air. “I’m cool with it. Go ahead.”

Adrien turned his head back to look at Marinette, who gave him a small smile.

“So…” he said slowly. “Do you maybe want to try the whole date thing again?”

She smiled and nodded. “I’d like that.”

He grinned and slowly started to lean in. The next thing she knew, they were kissing, her hand on the back of his neck as she pulled him closer. His large hands gripped her lower back as his warm, soft lips pressed gently against hers.

“Oooh,” Emilie’s friends giggled, and the two adults pulled away from each other, their foreheads still pressed together as they chuckled.

“I- um- I’ll call you tonight,” Adrien said, his cheeks pink.

“Okay,” Marinette responded, her heart racing. “I’m looking forward to it.”

***

They finally scheduled their first real date that night, and this time, she knew it was really going to happen.

Once again, she found herself at the edge of the Eiffel Tower. However, this time, it wasn’t out of disappointment.

Once again, she was surprised when Chat Noir landed next to her.

“Hello, Ladybug,” he said. “What brings you up here tonight? Something troubling you?”

“Nope,” she said, turning to look at him with a wide grin. “Just the opposite, actually.”

Chat smiled fondly and sat down next to her. “Wow, what’s got you all smiley?”

Ladybug lay down on her back with a sigh, the bottom half of her legs dangling off of the tower. “I got kissed today,” she confessed with a smile.

“Ooh,” Chat teased, lying down next to her. “I’m intrigued.”

Ladybug laughed. “It was this guy I was… madly in love with as a teenager.”

“That’s exciting,” Chat said. “Do you think it’s going anywhere?”

“I hope so.” She turned her head to face him. “What about you? What brings you out here tonight?”

“Well,” he said. “I kissed someone today, too.”

Ladybug laughed and turned her gaze back toward the sky. “Wow, there must be something in the water.”

Chat laughed. “Yeah. Anyway, she was a really good friend of mine in high school. We sort of lost touch after graduation, but we were reunited a few months ago. In fact, the only reason we saw each other again is because she’s my daughter’s home ec teacher now.”

Ladybug’s eyes flew wide open and she sat bolt upright, her heart pounding.

“Ladybug? What is it?”

She whipped around to look at him, studying his face closely.

Then she began to laugh.

Chat gave her a confused look. “What?”

“We’re so stupid,” she said through her laughter.

He furrowed his brow. “Why are we stupid?”

“I can’t believe we didn’t see it before,” she continued. “I mean, all these years, and we never even realized.”

He shook his head, not understanding. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean, Alya always said we were both oblivious,” she said, grinning as she saw the recognition of the other woman’s name in his face. “But I guess I just never realized how oblivious we were… Adrien.”

His eyes went wide, and she saw him examining her features, finally putting the pieces together in his head.

He grinned. “Marinette?”

She grinned back. "Hey."

He joined her in laughing at their stupidity and obliviousness.

"Wait," he said after a moment. "Does that mean... did you just say that you were _madly in love with me_ as a teenager?" He grinned.

She scowled at him, blushing furiously. "Shut up, Agreste."

***

Three years later, Marinette smiled fondly as she looked Emilie up and down while the eighteen-year-old modeled her handmade bridesmaid dress.

A week after that, she walked down the aisle to begin the life her teenage self had dreamed of living with Adrien Agreste.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to comment with feedback and/or make a request! Thanks!
> 
> -Emma
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [mykinkisdracomalfoy ](http://www.mykinkisdracomalfoy.tumblr.com)


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